Slider for slide fasteners



N. J. POUX SLIDER FOR SLIDE EASTENERS Filed Dec. 9, 1937 July 18, 1939.

IN VEN TOR. vNoel 1' Poux RNEYS.

Patented July 18, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 'if 10 Claims.

My invention relates to slide fasteners and more particularly has to do with the part which moves back and forth to open or close the fastener, and which is called a slider.

Among the objects of my invention are to provide a slider which fulfills all the functional requirements of the usual slider, and yet has a smoother and more symmetrical shape than sliders now in common use; to provide an improved slider embodying a locking mechanism and at the same time having a greatly reduced over-all thickness; to provide a slider with an improved self-locking mechanism which has positive and automatic release in either direction l5 of movement of the slider; and to provide an improved arrangement of slider and self-locking mechanism wherein the whole assembly can be cheaply made and put together. Among the functional requirements referred to is a free 20 running slider even when in contact with the loose edges of fabric or paper, for example in brief cases and clothing.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown for purposes of illustration the preferred embodiment and some slight modifications thereof, which my invention may assume in practice. In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows a portion of a fastener with my improved slider mounted on the fastener mem- 30 bers;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the slider only;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal side view partly in section showing the slider on a portion of the fastener and with the lock mechanism in locking position;

Fig. 4 is a full central longitudinal sectional View showing the lock mechanism in unlocking position;

Fig. 5 is a cross-section on line 5*-5 of Fig. 3; 40 Fig. 6 is a similar cross-section on line 6--6 of Fig. '7, showing a modification;

Fig. '7 is a plan view of the same modification; and

Fig. 8 is a detached View of a handle member ,15 with a modified construction.

The slide fastener with which I have shown my invention may be of any well-known type and herein comprises fabric tapes 9, I having mounted on their adjacent edges the rows of 50 closely spaced fastener elements II. The manner of interlocking and disengaging these fastener elements is well-known in the fastening art and will not be further described.

The improved slider has a body I2 of oval shape u. with the long dimension of the oval running (Cl. .Z4-205) lengthwise of the fastener. The Y-shaped channel I3 in the slider body is shown in outline in Figs. 1 and 7. The slider body comprises upper wing III and lower wing I5 having side flanges or lugs I6 which are wider than in the usual 5 slider due to the oval shape of the slider. The two wings are integrally connected by a Wedgeshaped neck I1 at the rear end of the slider. A bail-like handle I8, preferably large enough to swing entirely to one side or the other of the 10 slider, is connected at opposite ends of the oval to a shaft I 9, which extends longitudinally through a bore in the upper wing III of the slider body. This shaft member preferably has stop shoulders 20, 2| at opposite ends to limit the 15 longitudinal shifting movement of the shaft when the pull is operated in one direction or the other to open or close the fastener.

The slider body has a recess 22 in its upper surface, of the desired size to accommodate the locking member 23. This locking member is made of spring material and has one end 24 rigidly embedded in the neck portion I'I of the slider. 'Ihe free end is bent inwardly at 25 terminating in a locking prong 26 which is movable 25 inwardly and outwardly of the slider channel I3 so that it may engage between a pair of fastener elements II and lock the slider in any desired position. The operating shaft I9 passes through a notch 2l in the bent free end of the locking 30 member and has opposed inclined cam surfaces 28, 29, engageable with the upper edge of the notch so as to elevate the spring end of the locking member when the shaft is shifted endwise one way or the other and thus lift it out of lock- 85 ing engagement so that the slider can be freely moved. The cam surfaces are herein provided by forming a small diameter portion in the lock operating shaft.

The operation of the slider and its locking mechanism will now be readily understood. Normally when the fastener is used on a garment the pull member will lie to one side of the slider, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the locking mechanism Will be in its locked position, as shown in Fig. 3, with the normal spring tension of the locking arm acting to hold the locking prong in engagement with the fastener elements. Now, if it is desired to open the fastener, the pull member I8 will be grasped and may be swung up- 50 wardly into a plane at right angles to its position in Fig. 1. The angular position in this respect is not important so far as the lock is concerned. When a force is exerted on the slider in the open- .ing direction, the cam surface 28 will engage 55 the locking member and lift it into unlocked position so that the slider is freely moved over the fastener elements. It will be held in unlocked position so long as this force is applied. Now when it is desired to close the fastener, the pull will be moved in the other direction and shifted to the position shown in Fig. 4 where the cam surface 29 acts on the locking member to hold. it out of locked position. This prevents what has been called ratcheting of the spring member over the fastener elements when the slider is moved in the closing direction, and accordingly, will eliminate wear on the locking prong and the fastener' elements due to such ratcheting. Whenever the pull member is released it will fall into position at one side or the other of the slider and at the same time, the spring force of the locking member acting against the cam surface 28 or 29 will shift the pull member into its central position, as shown in Fig. 3, thus allowing the locking member to engage automatically.

As a result of my invention it will be observed that endwise motion of a sidewise swinging pullY tab is utilized for operating the locking member. The locking member is recessed into the slider body so that the over-all thickness of the slider is kept to a minimum. What is probably more important, there are no parts which project above the slider in the form of lugs and the entire slider body can have the pleasing shape of an oval without sacrificing any of its functional characteristics. In fact, in some respects, this form of slider is superior functionally because the neck is stronger and the side flanges i8 are wider and stronger.

In the modification shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the locking member 3l is also of oval shape and is somewhat wider than the locking member in Figs. l to 5. In this case the entire slider including the locking member may be made of a suitable plastic material. v The locking prong 32 is offset laterally to such an extent that it engages between the jaw ends of the fastener elements rather than between the interlocking ends. In Fig. 8 the bail-like handle 33 can be formed separately and attached to the operating shaft I9 as by welding or riveting at 34. Another method of attaching the bail may be to form it in two symmetrical halves, and then in assembly to join them together by resistance welding as at 35, Figs. l to '7.

It will be observed that the entire front end of the slider is elliptical in shape with the sharp end of the ellipse at the extreme front end of the slider. This curves smoothly into the sides of the slider and the result is to push away the edges of paper or of fabric which might tend to get caught between the slider and the fastener. This tendency is further avoided by the downward curvature of the bottom surface as seen best in Figure 4.

While I have shown and described in this appiication one embodiment and some modications which my invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this embodiment and the modifications are merely for the purposes of illustration and that various other forms may be devised within the scope of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A self-locking slider for slide fasteners comprising a slider body having an interior channel, a resilient looking member having one end secured in the slider body and the other end resiliently movable inwardly and out of the slider channel, and a movable shaft member extending through the slider body and having cam means engageable with said locking member to hold it :out of locking position in one position of the shaft, or in another position of the shaft to re- `lease it whereby its spring action will move it into locking position.

2. A self-locking slider for slide fasteners comprising a slider body having front and back wings connected at their upper end by a rigid neck por- 'tion and a prong locking member having one end .attached to the slider body adjacent the neck portion and the other end extending forwardly and bent inwardly toward the channel of the slider, said end having a locking prong engage- :able with the fastener members within the channel, and a combined slider pull and lock operating member extending lengthwise through the slider body under the lock operating member, passing through said inwardly bent portion, and movable from one position to another relative to the slider when a pull is applied to move the slider as a whole along the fastener; said look operating member and said resilient locking member having cooperating cam engaging surfaces to lift the locking member out of locking engagement when the pull is shifted in either direction.

3. A self-locking slider for slide fasteners comgpi'sinfT a slider body, a spring locking member .mounted in a recess of the slider body and having one end movable inwardly and outwardly of the slider, and a shaft which extends longitudinally through the slider and movable longitudinally Vwith relation to the slider, said shaft having an .inclined cam surface engageable with said locking member upon endwise movement of the shaft for lifting it out of locking engagement against its normal spring action, and a handle attached to said shaft.

4. A self-locking slider for slide fasteners comprising a slider body with an inclined channel and a front opening recess, a spring locking member mounted in said recess and having one yend movable in and out of the slider channel, .a shaft which extends longitudinally through the .slider and siidably mounted on the slider, said shaft having an inclined cam surface engageable with a locking member for lifting it out of locking engagement against its normal spring action, and a bail-like handle attached to said shaft, said shaft being round and being capable of turning movement in the slider whereby said bail can swing to one side or the other of the slider body.

5. The combination defined in claim 3 wherein stop shoulders are fixed on said shaft member to limit its endwise movement with relation to the slider body.

6. A locking slider for slide fasteners comprising a slider body having an interior channel, a locking member attached thereto and having a locking portion movable into and out of the slider channel, a handle pivoted on a longitudinal axisI to the slider body and also shiftable lengthwise of the slider body, and means carried by the handle engageable with the locking member to control its movement from locking to unlocking position.

7. A locking slider for slide fasteners comprising a slider body having an interior channel, the upper wing of the slider body having a recess opening in its front face, a locking member arranged in said recess and attached to the slider body, the upper surface of the locking member being substantially flush with the upper surface of the slider body surrounding the recess, said member having a locking portion movable into and out of the. slider channel, and a lock operating membe on the slider body having lock operating means between the front slider surface and said interior channel.

8. A locking slider for slide fasteners comprising a slider body having an interior channel, a locking member attached thereto having a locking portion movable into and out of the slider channel, a shaft extending longitudinally through the slider body and slidable endwise in the slider body, said shaft having a cam engageable with the locking member to control its operation.

9. A slider for slide fasteners of the class described having an interior channel therein and top and bottom wings on opposite sides of the channel connected at one end and free at the other end, side flanges on at least the bottom wing, the said bottom wing having a curved extension beyond the flanges at the free end of the Wing, and the side surfaces along the flanges being also curved, the curvature of the side flanges merging smoothly into the curvature of the free end.

10. A slider for slide fasteners of the class described having an interior channel therein and top and bottom wings on opposite sides of the channel connected at one end and free at the other end, side anges on at least the bottom Wing, the said bottom Wing having a curved extension beyond the flanges at the free end of the wing, the side flanges merging smoothly into the curvature of the free end.

NOEL J. POUX. 

